Efim Raikin Ben-Ari (15 July 1897 â€" 2 January 1968) was a
Russian-born actor, stage director, and teacher, mostly in America. He
co-founded the Habima Theatre in Moscow in the 1920s, acted on
Broadway, founded the only Hebrew-language theatre in America, and
taught and directed for four decades.Ben-Ari, whose family name was
Raikin, was born near Kiev (now in Ukraine). He took his father's last
name as his first name and called himself Raikin Ben-Ari, or "Raikin,
son of a lion." After training at a polytechnic school in the
sciences, Ben-Ari became interested in theatre. He co-founded the
famed Habima Theatre in Moscow, a Hebrew-language theatre, at a time
when revolutionary Russia did not look kindly on Jewish-oriented
activities. The company produced a landmark production of The Dybbuk,
a play which has gone on to be a staple of Jewish theatre.In the
1920s, Ben-Ari and the Habima company traveled to New York and
produced The Dybbuk on Broadway. A schism formed in the company and
some members went to Palestine, reestablishing Habima there, where it
continues (now in Israel) to this day as the premiere Hebrew theatre
company. Other members of the company, including Ben-Ari, remained in
the United States. Ben-Ari founded the Pargot Theatre, the only
Hebrew-language theatre in America. A follower of the work of
Constantin Stanislavski, Ben-Ari subsequently taught acting in Erwin
Piscator's theatre workshop at the New School for Social Research,
where his students included Walter Matthau, Marlon Brando, Tony
Curtis, Tony Franciosa, and Rod Steiger.Eventually, in 1948, Ben-Ari
moved to California and established a workshop in Los Angeles. Lucille
Ball taught a class there on comedy.
Russian-born actor, stage director, and teacher, mostly in America. He
co-founded the Habima Theatre in Moscow in the 1920s, acted on
Broadway, founded the only Hebrew-language theatre in America, and
taught and directed for four decades.Ben-Ari, whose family name was
Raikin, was born near Kiev (now in Ukraine). He took his father's last
name as his first name and called himself Raikin Ben-Ari, or "Raikin,
son of a lion." After training at a polytechnic school in the
sciences, Ben-Ari became interested in theatre. He co-founded the
famed Habima Theatre in Moscow, a Hebrew-language theatre, at a time
when revolutionary Russia did not look kindly on Jewish-oriented
activities. The company produced a landmark production of The Dybbuk,
a play which has gone on to be a staple of Jewish theatre.In the
1920s, Ben-Ari and the Habima company traveled to New York and
produced The Dybbuk on Broadway. A schism formed in the company and
some members went to Palestine, reestablishing Habima there, where it
continues (now in Israel) to this day as the premiere Hebrew theatre
company. Other members of the company, including Ben-Ari, remained in
the United States. Ben-Ari founded the Pargot Theatre, the only
Hebrew-language theatre in America. A follower of the work of
Constantin Stanislavski, Ben-Ari subsequently taught acting in Erwin
Piscator's theatre workshop at the New School for Social Research,
where his students included Walter Matthau, Marlon Brando, Tony
Curtis, Tony Franciosa, and Rod Steiger.Eventually, in 1948, Ben-Ari
moved to California and established a workshop in Los Angeles. Lucille
Ball taught a class there on comedy.
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